Waking the Dead
by C a Girl
Summary: Warning: Book 5 Spoilers. Voldemort plots to kill Bellatrix Lestrange for her errors in the Death Room.


Waking the Dead

Bellatrix cowered at the feet of her Dark Lord. "Master." She whimpered. Her preoccupation with killing her cousin had lead to the breaking of the prophecy. How would her lord punish her? She did not look forward to the last few dark hours of her life. She could not even enjoy her triumph over Sirius.

Voldemort simply cast a dark look at her. He had not yet decided if he wanted to torture her before he killed her. For he was going to kill her. There was no doubt about that. Avada Kedavra seemed too simple, too easy for one who had fouled up so surely. He needed something more satisfying, something creative.

The idea struck him, as someone who had survived death many times, as someone who could not be killed. He knew that there were ways to wake the dead. He knew that the best way to kill Bellatrix was to break her pride completely in half. Defeating her cousin had been her sole concern during the ministry raid. Would she find that same cousin so easy to kill when he was undead?

The Dark Lord smirked and within moments had the incantation and the appropriate tools to lift the veil and bring back the one whom Bellatrix had taken down. He had to return Bellatrix to the Death Room in order for this idea to work completely and that would be no easy task. He wanted her there for the great unveiling. 

He remembered that there were ways other than portkeys and floo that could get you where you wanted to go and to do so undetected by the authorities. How else had he moved for years without the ministry knowing his whereabouts? His skill was beyond that and with a simply nod he found the right spell for the job in his memory.

It was a French spell, long out of use and so ancient only the most knowledgeable of wizards could still incant it. He raised his wands, pointed it at Bella and said the words "Alle Vouz, Bella a la place des Morte." It was not only the words but the thoughts that could transport the intended to the place decided. Voldemort smiled grimly as Bellatrix LeStrange hazed out of his view.

She was alone and cold, so cold in the darkened room. The torches began to gutter to life as she became aware of her surroundings. It had been a few days since she had been here, living only in the darkness and fear of her master's shadow. Yet she could not forget the interior of this room, the dais resting in the center and the black veil hanging above it, moving softly at the corners in a breezeless room.

Why had he sent her here? She wondered as something about the veil captured her attention. It was moving in a way to suggest that someone was trying to escape it. She had not studied so much about the veil that she understood what it held or even if one could escape it.

As she walked closer Sirius, or what had been Sirius crawled out from under the veil. He didn't have the appearance of death, nor did he look quite real. He could not be mistaken for the man he once was; yet he could be no one other than Sirius. Bellatrix let out a scream of rage.

"I killed you." She growled.

"Obviously not that well." He replied in a cold voice. It had the sound as if he were talking through a cloud of mist, as if he were made of icy wind. He was surprised to find himself here, but he remembered very well what had happened. Some type of magic had called him back to finish this business with Bella. It was not like Sirius to turn down an invitation.

He raised his wand arm and was pleased to find his wand still in his grasp. He shot several spells at her, all of which she dodged while shooting spells back. One hit him, but it had no effect. He was not substantial enough for a spell to damage him as it once could.

Bellatrix grew angrier as each spell hit and bounced, or simply went through Sirius. This was not a fair fight. Sirius was bearing down on her and another spell bounced off of him. He hit her with a stunning spell and smiled down at her cruelly. "Ah, Bella. Why so angry?"

"You mudblood loving freak." She screeched. "You are not of the house of Black."

"Good thing too." Sirius replied. "Otherwise I'd feel awful about having to kill you."

He stood over her and for a moment hesitated. His teeth clenched, his fist locked over his wand. There was a moment of debate that ended in the sour taste of death in his mouth. He pointed the wand at her heart as she lay motionless on the ground. "Avada Kedavra." He said.

The green light shot out of his wand blinding him, killing his cousin. The light faded and Bella's body was still, frozen in rage and fear.

"You have done well by the noble house of Black, my son." Voldemort said behind him.

Sirius turned to face the high and cold voice. He found Voldemort staring at him in an admiring fashion. Sirius returned his dark gaze, with something more like his old self. "I'm not your son." He said. "And I won't follow you, not for anything in the world. Not even for another chance at life." He ran with a full burst of speed and flung himself at the veil before the Dark Lord could raise his wand and trap him in this half-life, this existence which was not existence at all.

The Dark Lord turned with an arched brow. "Have it your way." He said to the back as it disappeared from view. He removed Bella's body from where it lay and threw it at the veil. He wiped his hands on his black robes and left the Death Room as empty as it had been for ages.


End file.
